the a part of history and listen to the supreme court oral arguments as they occur by the justices. 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span, ondemand on c-span.org or listen on the free c-span radio app and immediately following the live sip cream court session join jeffrey rosen of the national constitution center a live discussion with scholars. >> earlier today house minority leader, kevin mccarthy had the impact of the coronavirus on congress and a plan to safely return lawmakers to the capital. he spoke with political playbook for about 35 minutes. >> i think the main thing to focus on at this point, one of the main points and we will bring in the leader on this point, is congress i think needs to come back, and your view, mr. mccarthy to did this last stimulus package you believe frankly it become

untenable for you and that generally to have the lawmakers on the sidelines as he craft a kind of chilling dollar spending packages every couple of weeks pretty explaining your view what kind of changes need to be made here to bring congress back and get the place working again. >> thanks for having me on. how can we do another bill and not have the committees work? are you just going to have a few people crafted this? think how that's gonna pass $3 trillion you take that along with what the senates during that $7 trillion into the economy we want to make sure that is implemented correctly. in my letter today, it starts out with what benjamin franklin once said, if you're part of the plan planning to fail. my letter is not a partisan letter all and part of this is

the bipartisan group we put together to work on this. this different phases to we should bring a few committees back now because you have to have social distancing. mba, water resources, he also need preparation bill bring subcommittees back, they could be in bigger rooms, of social distancing, and we ought to make an agreement with one another. let's put the partition strip aside, let's not let those political games being played, and those to be more bipartisan. once the bills are done and move through, you can bring the rest of congress back. you can change how congress looks inside by how we vote even the speaker saves a fabulous job we did before. coming in segments devotes us not to be people on the floor once, you're sitting apart. also brought up speaking to a lot of people in the medical community preview go to grocery stores today, home

depot, there is a plexiglas next to the cashiers. and those high traffic areas we can do that maybe as well look at their situations. we sit in three different offices we know the sizes of them, even limited number of staff when you have social distancing. i think this is the capability to make this happen. we come out of committee will be assigned this is a day were going to vote. you bring more people back to vote, they can vote on that specific day, maybe two days. and then depart, but you've got to get congress working again. it is essential we work. in california, the democrats control the state assembly buried the speakers bringing them back this week, today to start working. congress cannot stay shut down. government has to continue to be able to work in the process. you do not want to sit back and say i'm going to craft some other bill, the democrats are picking numbers before they're deciding what's in

it. and they're deciding a few people will decide within and then you're going to bring everybody back for an up-and-down vote. that's not how congress should work, that is not how america's voice should be delivered. i believe we can do both in a different manner. >> will me ask you this is a follow-up. a lot of people think logically in 2020, why aren't we allowing people to vote from their offices around the country? wearing a pretty perilous environment with the public health setting pretty explained to us why you are against remote voting, if you are which i believe you are. and why you are against proxy voting. it's something in which you could vote for another member of congress of your here they are not. >> let's your second question first, proxy voting. constituents lend their voice to the congresswoman or congressman every two years and expect to hold them accountable. when you get a proxy vote you're giving their voice to somebody else they cannot hold accountable paired can you imagine going to the floor, of

that last vote and people saying i'm just not going to come back and one member stands up and said here's 200 votes, that all passes. that's a real challenge to me. is there certain situation if we were living in a different world with covid? there's a way we can work toward something pretty talk about technology. i'm a big believer in technology if you watch my office utilize technology probably more than most any office. but we found is you should always test something before you go after. if we get attacked at the house of representatives there's a billion times a week trying to come into our technology. i watched in iowa, the democrats and technology was going to be the answer. they ended up not even counting the vote. i watched oversight having zoom meetings and get attacked three different times. i've watched in my own town, the college do one it was atrocious thing that got put

up at same time people would focus on attacking the house. is there a way that we could be somewhere prior to bringing back? is there something special about people meeting face-to-face. it's a better way to solve a problem. we've had nearly 200 years of history don't just wipe it away and think it's all a sudden ready to work. i do believe there's a way that committees can have roundtables, discussions utilizing technology with others. i believe in a hybrid so we can come back in a committee form using a bigger room so we have social distancing, you have interaction, how you make a secondary emotion? how do you move on a different hearing? there are some members that have a challenge maybe from their own health and others. maybe they can participate in the meeting by being able to listen by technology pay but i don't think any voting should take place by a zoom or

other. i think you need to be in place for any market. i do not believe in ethics committee or an intel committee should be using anything like that. i think we are too vulnerable in that stage. i call it a crawl, walk, run program paid let's see if there's a hybrid to be able to do this. >> i want to follow-up that with two practical questions. you put forth your plan, may be the speaker will adopt some of your kind of plan will see how that ends up taking up. i think there's two real practical points. one, do you agree or disagree with the speaker mcconnell who said they didn't want to have a testing? do you think do you think house members should be able to go to their offices? >> two good questions i do disagree with the testing. let's be realistic about this. states do this every time as well part as we open up we cannot assume there will not be a flare up somewhere. i want to be prepared for

that, if got to have tracing and others we are watching testing, just in the last week we tested more than 1.8 million. every week testing improves and every week we learned something more about this virus. i want to be prepared because think about it, we are a mini city here in washington. it is your capital, it is your government. one to make sure the government doesn't collapse or not be able to meet what does that say to the country and the rest of the world? you want to make sure it's functioning. we don't think it would be wrong to have avid test but we need a quick response, especially if there's some kind of outbreak you can quarantine those individuals you can test the others and have government keep working. the interaction with the press, because the public is not able to be in these meetings, i want to make sure everybody's able to see you then. it's even more critical about the press, want to make sure they be treated almost like a members and be into those meetings to be able to cover them. and they should be tested.

that is very doable. debbie less than 100 test think or talk much, the funding of government, the appropriation bills had their second meeting now. we've had a small business meeting on 50 members came and it works. we have a subcommittee of appropriations meeting here this week. this is doable. we proved to be convoked, we proved we can meet, let's take these essential things have one done in the those bills are done there be more bipartisan, so you won't have any games being played on the floor, he won't have votes on the floor and that's what all members can come back. when you're dealing with living in offices, they will be in the office themselves, you probably have to change the aspect of the number staff that could come in. you will have to deal with much fewer staff, not sure if you have that many at all only being in committee. and being able to take care.

remember, i believe the entire world is different than it was two months ago. on a natural base if you've been adding to your committee people are acting different. their shopping organ mass, you stand when you're waiting more than 6 feet away from one another, we treat each other much differently than before, we are adults, we run for office, think we can handle this. i believe members can handle it because they have been educated in a different manner. we have been better prepared. the house administration set a great job setting up work from home so staff could continue to work from home. members interaction in person and taking up legislation is very critical. think they can handle it do it. member doctors, delivery drivers dispatchers, ham and people doing it every single day. we can do this in a safe manner but i do believe you don't bring all congress back at once. let's just a few committees,

even to a few other committees and a bigger room and you learn from that at the same time. i do believe it will be critical to have the testing here because there will be a flare. remember how many people from other parts of the country come to this location? >> to have have confidence in the attending physician is advising you? >> very much so. my mother is not only attending physician but to other people and individuals where i elicits their input. we will continue to learn something more about this virus every single day. we've got to be willing to adapt. my letters on a partisan letter it is coming from members of the bipartisan commission. we want to seek government opened up, it takes that exact approach, how can we do it? we simply cannot sit back and say we are not going to meet again until we have some other big trillion dollar bill to come back and vote on. that is denying americans

their voice in this process. i want to make sure it is safe, we had about 400 members can back and vote last time we did that safely. i think committee work is critical at this time, especially if we're talking about government funding, national defense, water resources, or a fourth bill. >> how often you getting tested? smooth neck i have been tested twice when i went to the white house to see the president. there is a ten minute test but remembered that the snapshot from that place right there it was the initial opening i think people down there get tested once a week to make sure government can continue to work. >> you been traveling from coast-to-coast while most of us have not been. gives a sense of what it's us like in the airports. are you wearing a mask? >> yes sometimes you guys have a question the other day about the mask and on the floor.

some people wore masks and some didn't. nancy blows he didn't wear a mask when she spoke. there's a reason why she could. when their social distancing, you have to wear a mask. you could, but you don't herby watch how you dealt with the floor their social distancing were cleaning up the microphone after each time in the area so you can speak without the mask. when you're walking through the halls, you watch members wear masks. when i travel onto a plane i'm wearing a mask and gloves. if you watch everybody on the plane they wipe everything down it's cleaner than any other time. i listen to medical expert and said the plane come in his opinion, don't take this because it was told me, because of the air including the air 70 times, the planes have changed.

there more people on this time plane back to the last couple of times for the other thing the airline was telling us they're doing is they are no longer selling the middle seats have distance. you don't get food on the planes. and people spend like five hours across country people don't get up as much, you not getting food in the process, people keep to themselves, keep their masks on when they fly, their wiping every part of the seats it down. even when you're getting off the plane how people would crowd, people give each other the social distance that they need. that's a place we will be able to work through. those who her on the plane themselves, the pilot and others there wearing gloves and masks. >> what does your gut tell you with this point? i know you guys have laid down the red line in the next stimulus bill you want liability protection, the president last night said he

won't approve of anything without apparel tax-cut. i'm curious, just sitting here yes or no do you believe there will be another bill? and if not or if so how many more bills you anticipate? >> just saying there's going to be another bill we are taking the wrong approach. i'm not saying there's not going to be another bill. but what i think the approach should be for the policymakers first is we just passed $3 trillion. we want to make sure that it's implemented and implemented correctly. then we want to take the data room where there is a challenge in the country. i believe there still be challenges. then we come back having that information and really start talking about crafting the bill to deal with those items. what is concerning to me is you're having policymakers passing the third bill in the future and say we may need another bill that needs to be

true trillion. just picking a number, i believe that is the wrong approach. let's first see this money and see what works see where it needs to be more baby is just more flexibility. as the states began to open up you will have more information about where resources are needed to help. in other areas you might be wasting money. i do believe that is why unique committees to be able to have the information and the mark up and do it with data out currently instead of an emotion. it will go further and will be more productive. i do not think you are going to find some is going to craft a billing thing is going to become law and a few people are going to write it. i don't believe that's what this country needs. i listen to other people but i do think you need liability protection especially for small businesses and others. the president is looking for what he believes that means

for economic gain, payroll tax seductions. you brought up earlier in your opening about the town hall last night. you brought out about incumbency. that's not what i took from it. this is not your question but this reminded me of it. having lincoln in the background this is my favorite monument. think what this was saying to the nation. this is what i took from it as i watched it. the greatest challenge to her constitution in this nation has been the civil war. at country divided but coming back together. knowing what we are going through right now is one of those moments in time, like a 911, world war ii and others, this is a real challenge for our nation and for the world. but it also reminded us that we can do great things. at the same time there during the civil war there were building the second dome on this capital. they were connecting the country together on a railroad that is never been before. not only were they trying to

build the nation back together, they were thinking about the situation should look like 50 years from now. we should be doing the same thing as a policymaker. and able to defeat this virus not for just our nation but for the world. trained to think about we will never be in this position again, we will never allowed china to control the supply chain that they control today. we will never allow america to be put into a position we are put in right now. those are the things i think we should be doing in congress and having the hearings and why it is so important that we do meet in person. it is a fundamental difference from thinking you're going to solve the worlds problems by zoom. >> i want to ask you, we had a couple of audience questions came in before he started. one of them goes to this point is kind of fabric of this country, state, local and the fight that we have heard from senate majority leader mitch mcconnell and others by getting state and local

funding in this next stimulus package. what limitations would you put on future state and local aid? >> first of all the money can only be about covid. talk about locals and others i get a real concern about just sending money to state. remember, in one month we gave more than $5 billion to the state. and medicare we use about 600 billion the entire year. that's a lot of money going out and people just asking for more. i do not think the money should be used for anything other than the covid cost. i would like a plan that could be a little different, i'm just brainstorming here as i'm talking to you. what about of cities brought a smaller scale, if i sent it to sacramento they would take 20% off the top, and they would get the resources they need for their police and fire with the sales tax it others. how can we guarantee that whatever we do that it goes

directly to the right sources? that's why those who apply show the numbers show the change. the idea you're going to take away the mismanagement by making hard-working taxpayers bail them out. it's a big concern and caused by covid could almost apply for a grant. let the city do it themselves so you don't have the governors taking their portion off the top to try to balance their mismanagement of their funding. if it's truly a need for the cities and counties let them come directed to us. >> how do you grade your governor, gavin newsom, who is been a lot in the news and has had the praise of the president but his and caught some flack about beach openings? >> first off i was just on with the governor and the entire delegation but i told the governor want to thank him for the work he had done especially think that is a real example about he's been

working with the federal government and the federal government working with him. i watched governor cuomo have these emotional reactions it is press conference to try to criticize and come back the other way. i have watched gavin newsom, when he is on the view of the try to get them to say something negative about the president. he works well with me and whoever would come up since that really enjoyed working together. that's what the american public was to seep or they should not criticize the president or governor newsom for the two are working together that should be something people celebrate pretty think what that governor is doing, california is much more fortunate, today we are less than 3000 deaths in california when we have 40 million people. i don't know the exact reason for, but californians, we have taken our actions may be faster than new york, mass

transit seems to be an early indicator to have this faster but he think we a different approach up there. i do believe is we allow governors to make decisions california's large it's really for states in themselves. we are nation state, 12% of the entire nation lives in our state. one size does not fit all which is why i am a believer in my own philosophy of being a conservative. more local control the better off you are. let them make the decisions. the absolute shutdown of the beaches in southern california i know these beaches while they are some of our best. i would allow the supervisors see let them make those decisions. they are where public health dealing with these situations. they are the ones on the ground, not sacramento. sacramento is five or six hours away. how does he know what happens? he thing to take the decision based on something is on the

internet? what i saw happening in the beaches they are some of the best lifeguards anywhere in the world. this is surf city, usa. they take it very serious down there, they would not want something to happen to our city as well put i would listen to the locals much more than what i'm seeing right now. >> i want to switch gears a little bit. i want to ask are you okay with doctor fauci testified to the senate and not the house? >> that's a question for the white house about where it is at. i would like to see, we were able to have hearings here in the capital who most committees, if that's the benefit way want to be here and purpose you could have witnesses coming in and have the interaction with others. i'm not sure what that in the house was requesting and what the senate was. as a general proposition we went to testify in front of the house ensuring the house?

>> what they're looking for someone sews a better witness or others? but i think it's more beneficial to have to get the information and be able to make a policy maker to make those decisions with the most information possible. >> now, do you plan to name people to the committee, the oversight committee that nancy pelosi. >> i will make that decision later this week. i was really concerned with the start of heard one of my greatest concerns is to have accountability. in the cares act we created three new entities of oversight. that is beyond what we have in congress. we should study how this is done for the inspectors general, they have something to oversight. the president nominates somebody confirmed by the senate for five years. then bicameral, the house and senate. remember this is done in a very fair manner were all for

leaders take a person with a speed unchecked speaker and intent nancy pelosi and mitch mcconnell get the pic's chair doesn't even number nonpolitical right? for people in the fifth goes between the republican the danek crab. this is the only one set up of the oversight to be weighted. there is no senate on their comments house only. it's weighted towards the democrat side. then let's see who they selected buried the committee for the mission of what the kid was proceeded the committee chained was named before the mission was set. jim clyburn as a smart guy. he is clinically very smart -- politically very smart i would credit him with giving joe biden the nomination. he kept the job which is unheard of to stay inside leadership that is politically

good knowledge of what to do. he is the political person to have over there. he did very good job. he also said in the conference call he viewed the virus is an opportunity to restructure government and that philosophy smart political move on his part, bad policy for the nation, something i disagree with foley. but he instituted that into the conference as the risk. so he's being named the chair. is this up policy committee or political committee? then we find they put maxine waters, we know maxine waters about impeachment and setting other people to go after each other they philosophically disagree. the freshman who they took to the rules committee to actually make the argument for democrats to bring impeachment articles to the floor. he actually made a rally two

days before the president was sworn and that the president should be impeached. it really seems they have not changed anything that they had done when they change the intel committee to impeachment, it seems very political. it's not created equally there's no senators in their, it's a driven by people without the mission statement first. but a political ideas first. it's really concerning to me this would not be productive that you have these other three oversights that are nonpartisan, equal in nature, and report to congress every single month. [inaudible] they're going to report to congress every 30 days outside of the inspector general and outside of who the president nominates and confirmed by the senate. >> were quickly running out of time but before we do i want to text throughout 2020 and the practical nature of it.

do you think there's going to be vote by mail in november? >> is a combination states determine that. in california we vote by mail and in person. i would think we want to get back to the normalcy in a most everything we do bring their concerns -- each state is different. they have a combination of both further some states like nevada that people come in weeks ahead of time. i think people are set up, we subverted with the card, vote in person, we just did it when they give you more time. and there are people going to the grocery stores today, giving distance. states would look at this in many different manners maybe they give it more time than just that day and make it easier to vote in the process. think that something to look at. >> one question to wrap up and were going to try to keep you

and you chose here. what's thing you think you will be doing more when this is over and what is one thing you will be doing less of when this is over? >> i think everyone will wash their hands more when this is over. i think your going to have more values in the idea of what's important to you. technology is utilized to buy things but you are going to value the time with one another more. the world is starting going so fast, you can have anything you want as fast as she could have it. maybe you look at this guy a little longer, may be a dream a little longer. maybe his smell a rose a little longer. that's from a different perspective will be different. >> alright leader mccarthy thank you for joining us this morning all of you join them the lifestream we appreciate your time. ♪ ♪ television has changed in c-span began 41 years ago but

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coronavirus pandemic. after that, the supreme court oral argument in u.s. patent and trademark versus booking .com. later, the national constitution center in philadelphia looks at the case argued before the high court. >> our guest this week on "the communicators" is congresswoman abigail spanberger. she's a democrat from virginia and her first term. congresswoman, you had legislation that was passed earlier this month. what was it? >> guest: i had a bill focused on 5g technology and the bill passed 413-three and the promise of this bill has that we are facing significant challenges with the future of 5g technology and the united states needs a comprehensive strategy. this bill would require that we develop one and that we implement it and work with our partners and allies to ensure